Gas pressure regulator



July 31, 1945. F. NIESEMANI L .GAS PRESSURE REGULATOR Filed July27, 1942I attorney W a F 8 m w X a z a n m w. w \m u q. F.. n. X g i a w I w 1 aN 3 k. 9 a l S Patentcd July 31, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GASrasssuar: anemia-r03 l rits Niesemann, Pittsburgh, Pa asslgnor toPittsburgh Equitable Meter Company, Pittsburgh, 2a., a corporation ofPennsylvania Application July 21, 1942, Serial No. 452,451

g 4 Claims. (01. 50-23) This invention relates to gas pressure regulavIt is an object of the present invention to provide a gas pressureregulator composed of relatively few parts and which may be readilyassembled or disassembled.

Another object is the provision of a gas pressure regulator which may becast in substantially its flnished form, the only machining operationrequired being that of cutting screw threads.

Another object is the provision of a gas pressure regulator whereinpossibilities of leakage to the exterior are reduced by reduction of thenumber of Joints.

These and other objects will be apparent upon consideration of thefollowing specification taken in connection with the attached drawing,wherein I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention by way ofexample, and wherein Figure 1 is a vertical section of the preferredembodiment, and

Figure 2 is a top view of the bottom or body.

Referrin to the drawing, the body I may be cast or forged in a singlepiece, and is designed to avoid the use of complicated cores or coreswhich must be destroyed to allow their removal. It is preferably made asa die casting of aluminum. zinc or other suitable metal or alloy, andhas a conical cavity 2 in the top. The top surface 2 is smooth and has acircumferential groove 4 formed therein. The body has a transversepassage t constituting the inlet side thereofwhich is threaded at 9 toenable the body to be connected into a suitable pipe line and e 8 mergeswith a central vertical aperture ID in the bottom partition ii of cavity2. The seat in this aperture ll preferably is formed at 2 on a flangedbushing l2, and may be tapered or conical, the aperture I! being screwthreaded at It to receive the bushing. Gasket I5, interposed between theflange of the bushing and the bottom partition |l. serves to seal thebushing against leakage at its periphery. The outlet passage I of theregulator preferably is the size of the inside pipe diameter and isscrew threaded at l whereby it mav be connected to a pipe line, and avertical opening l9, which is shown of generally rectangular shape,passes through bottom wall into passage H.

A valve member 2|, which preferably is of noncircular form, provides atapered portion 22 adapted to onset with seat i2. and an integral stemportion 22 has a flange 24 preferably integral therewith, this flangehelm: of slightly lesser diameter than the bore 2! m the bushing l2.Soft gasket 28 is located on the flange 24 and a diaphragm pan 2! isplaced thereon, a pliable diaphragm." being clamped between pan 21 andapan" by means ofawasher II and nut 22 screwed on the screw threaded endof stem 22. The outer periphery of diaphragm 22 is clamped between aflange on cover 25 and the smooth top surface 2 of the body by means ofscrews 21 passing through holes 28 and held thereon by suitable nuts,the groove 4 serving to prevent leakage and thus eliminate the need fora gasket. Cover 25 has a vent 29 therein whereby a vented chamber 4| isformed above the diaphragm and a control chamber 42 is provided beneaththe diaphragm by the cavity 2. The diaphragm is loaded by a suitablespring 42, the tension or pressure of which may be adjusted by a nut 2|threaded into the screw threaded bore 45 of the cover which is adaptedto be closed by a screw threaded cap It.

The bottom wall II of the casing I has formed therein a non-circularrecess I2 which is shown as hexagonal in form and which is slightlylarger than the hexagonal lower portion of the valve member 2|. Recess 2has projecting from the walls thereof three bosses it of equal height,with centering shoulders I thereon.

In operation, gas enters inlet 8 and when valve 2| is unseated it flowspast seat i2 and through opening 25 into pressure chamber 42 and exitsthrough opening is into outlet I I, and valve 2| tends to maintain aconstant pressure at the outlet ll in known manner. In assembling theparts, the valve member 2| first is inserted with its hexagonal end inrecess 52, and bushing It then is threaded into place. The gasket 22 isplaced on flange 24 and then diaphragm pan 2! is placed on the gasket.The diaphragm 22 is then placed on pan 21, pan 29 is placed on thediaphragm, and washer 3| is placed on pan 22. Nut 22 now is threadedonto stem 22, the recess 52 serving to hold the stem against rotationduring assembly. In place of the non-circular recess in the bottom andthe non-circular form of the valve member, any other suitable shape orarrangement of interfltting parts on the valve and body may be employedto hold the valve stem from turning during assembly.

Flange 24 is slightly smaller than the opening 25 in bushing It so thatthe valve stem 22 may be passed through the bushing, and is ofsuflicient size and thickness to provide an adequate rigid shoulderagainst which the diaphragm 5 may be clamped in gas tight relation, thissh'oulderis of suiflcient area to prevent undue compression of thegasket. Bosses 54 are provided to act as stops and engage the peripheryof diaghragm pan 2'! and preferably provide centering shoulders toenable the pan and diaphragm to be centered during assembly, as shown indotted lines in Figure 1. This enables the diaphragm to be positionedwith aproper slack or curvature therein so that when the cover isassembled in position the diaphragm is given the proper shape for easyoperation, and it is not necessary to have bolt holes in the diaphragm.In operation the downward movement of valve stem 23 is iimitedso thatflange 24 cannot obstruct opening 25 in bushing l3. This may beaccomplished by bosse 54 engaging the diaphragm pan 21, or, if desired,by having the bottom of recess 52 engage the valve 2|. 1

Various modifications may be made in the invention without departingfrom the spirit or scope thereof.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by United StatesLetters Patent is:

1. A pressure '--regulator comprising a body provided with inlet andoutlet, openings and an intermediate valve seat defining a valveaperture, a flexible diaphragm within said body, a valve having a stemadapted to extend freely through said aperture for attachment to saiddiasaid portion being disposed within the regulator so as to benon-accessible from the exterior of I said body when said valve isoperatively mounted in said body, fastening means on said valve stem forsecuring said stemto said diaphragm. said 5 fastening means having amovable part manioperable with respect to said valve during normalfunctioning of said regulator.

2. The pressure regulator deflned in claim 1,

- wherein, said valve face carrying portion of the valve is of irregularshape and said holding means comprises a rigid internal body portion"adapted to interfit with said irregular valve face carrying portion tohold the valve against rotation during assembly.

. 3. The pressure regulator defined in claim 1, wherein said fasteningmeans comprises a radial flange on said stem and said valve seatcomprises an apertured member removably secured within said body topermit assembly of said valve, said aperture in said member being sfliciently large to pass said flange during assembly 4. The pressureregulator defined in claim 1, including means within said body betweensaid diaphragm and said valve seat providing a rest for supporting andcentering said diaphragm during assembly of the regulator.-

I 'RITZ- NIESEMANN.

